Jazan doctors perform life-saving heart catheterization on 22-day-old infant

A specialized medical team at Prince Mohammed bin Nasser Hospital, part of the Jazan Health Cluster, in collaboration with King Fahad Central Hospital, has successfully performed an interventional cardiac catheterization on a 22-day-old newborn suffering from a complex congenital heart defect known as transposition of the great arteries, which affects blood flow and oxygen levels in the body.

The Jazan Health Cluster explained that the case required urgent medical intervention using balloon atrial septostomy, a technique where a catheter equipped with a medical balloon is inserted into the heart to enlarge the opening between the two upper chambers. This helps mix oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood, improving the body's oxygen levels.

Transposition of the great arteries is considered a complex congenital defect, in which the two main arteries leaving the heart—the aorta and the pulmonary artery—are switched, disrupting normal blood circulation and affecting the delivery of oxygenated blood to the body's organs.

Specialized teams in pediatric cardiology, cardiac catheterization, pediatric intensive care, neonatal intensive care, and respiratory care participated in the procedure, coordinating closely to prepare the catheterization lab, necessary equipment, and provide continuous medical care and monitoring for the infant.

The catheterization was successful, and the infant's condition stabilized after the procedure. The baby was then returned to the neonatal intensive care unit at King Fahad Central Hospital to continue receiving specialized medical care and follow-up.

This intervention is part of the Emergency Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Pathway, a program aimed at enhancing the readiness of healthcare facilities to manage emergency cardiac cases in newborns and providing specialized interventions through collaboration among hospitals within the Jazan Health Cluster.